resources for fyc instructors at Texas A&M-Commerce

Placement Criteria for English 100, 101, 102, and 110

First-Day Activities

• A first-day writing assignment is often a good choice for many. I regularly choose this option in English 100 and will again this fall (see http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/WA1.htm )
• Sometimes a "getting to know you" activity is most appropriate. Here's an example: http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/about_you.doc.

 Writing Guides

• MLA FORMAT--Here are a couple samples you an use with your students: MLAsample.doc or http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Daly-MLA.pdf
• INVENTION TECHNIQUES-- invention_techniques.doc.
  INTEGRATING QUOTES? Check out http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/integrating_quotes.htm
• MORE ON INTEGRATING QUOTES--Sometimes the problem is less that the students are having trouble integrating quotes into their work (at least at the sentence/paragraph level) but that they hare having difficulties thinking beyond the structure of the authors' arguments. Quite often they also integrate the key arguments of authors via "chunks" (Johnson said this and this and this; Hudson said this and this and this) rather than integrating the pieces into their OWN arguments. I have found this "collage" exercise useful. They also really end up enjoying the cutting and pasting that goes on. http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/collage.htm. It may seem silly at first, but we've received great feedback on this activity and I use it whenever I can.
• INTRODUCTIONS--Check this out: http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/introduction_guide.htm.
• ANALYZING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: Your students might find "How to Read an Assignment" useful (at How to Read an Assignment) and "Interpreting the Task" (at http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/assignment_task.htm)

Discussion Guides

• THE READING QUIZ-- Dr. Fulkerson introduced me to this fabulous idea several years ago. This is not an ordinary quiz; it's a quiz designed to serve as a discussion generator. Students complete the quiz, which is usually developed with some levels of ambiguity (on purpose). We want them to stumble a little. The "discussion" comes in when you ask them to switch completed quizzes with someone and then grade them together. They should answer each question, with you serving as facilitator. "Marcus says number 2 is 'true.' Does anyone have a different answer? Why is it 'true'?" For some, we hope, the students will be able successfully argue that it is one or the other or even both. In those cases, it is suggested that you take either answer. This helps them understand that good readers aren't always looking for the "right" answers but information to provoke discussion among informed folks. Lori Rios (a graduate of our program) has developed this quiz over Chapter 2 of Donna Dunbar-Odom's book, Working with Ideas (Houghton-Mifflin, 2001). This chapter is also included in the most recent edition of Transitions (Fountainhead Press, 2006). "Quiz: Chapter 2, 'Writing as a Process." TF_Quiz_Rios.doc
• THE GROUP DISCUSSION--One way to stimulate class discussion is to give them some time to prepare a response to a specific question, which they will then present to the entire class. I like to do this in groups. (1) Divide the class up into several smaller groups (no more than 5), (2) assign each group a specific question (each group member should have a specific task--a "scribe/recorder" takes notes during the discussion [which they can then submit to you at the end, with each group member's name listed], a "time keeper/task master" to keep everyone on track, and a "reporter" who will be responsible for "reporting" to the rest of the class the findings of the group), (3) give them about ten minutes to develop a response, (4) ask the reporter from each group to share answers and then ask each group to join in the discussion based on the answers each group offers. It's important that you also have more than one group answer the same question. That way you can stimulate real debate. sometimes I ask each group to record their group responses on the board before moving into the class discussion. This works well, as well, as it gives them an outline of sorts to follow when reporting findings to the class. (see DQ_Sire.doc for set of questions used in response to Sire's "Chris Chrisman Goes to State").

Reading Guides

• THE POSITION PAPER is a good way to get students thinking about the ideas in the texts (as well as a good motivator to push students to keep up with the reading). Often I ask students to type up a page or two that develops a theme they see emerging from the reading assignment. They might also, as Dr. Dunbar-Odom suggestions, respond to questions like "What are the two key moments form this section of your reading? Why are they 'key'? Key to what? OR Find one quotation from the reading that seems to you to be particularly significant to your understanding of the text." I would also suggestion you ask them to use the Position Paper to respond to the "before you read/after you read" questions introducing and following each reading assignment. "Ideally," as Dr. D-O suggests, "they'll be able to use something form their position papers when they do the main writing assignment. . . . Your marking of the texts should be quick, focusing on what is 'usable' in their future paper. You should spend little time 'grading' these; just read them and provide a quick response. In fact, you could have them do this in Educator [now eCollege], and then have them respond to each other."  
• THE READING LOG is another option. I would suggest you speak with Dr. Fulkerson about how he makes use of these. He has a very interesting method here that I have adopted in my own classes with great success. Here's an handout explaining to students how we will be using the Reading Log and how they will be graded, as well as a sample WL in response to Robert Johnson's essay. rl.doc
• THE GROUP DISCUSSION is yet another option. I make use of this quite a bit in my courses. Often I will divide relevant reading questions among several groups (of 3-5 members), making each group responsible for one question (see DQ_Sire.doc for a sample).  It is important that you assign "roles" in each group before beginning (time keeper, recorder, reporter, etc) so that everyone knows what they are expected to do and makes good use of the time. Circulate among the groups as they discuss the questions and prepare their responses, making sure they are on track and don't have any questions. Sometimes we assign a task master, so as I circulate I ask the person in that role whether or not the group is on track.  We also ask this of the timekeeper. Most often the handout guiding the group discussion should offer the steps for completing the task and describe the roles of each group member. I didn't do so on the handout offered above because this group discussion occurred later in the semester, after they were all pretty used to the process.

Peer Review

Peer Review is important and can be very useful, but it is also difficult to make work. One way is to offer detailed instructions for making it work. Here's a sample: http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/GW2.doc. Another way it to train them to respond to one another's essays. Here you will find the Teaching Notes for the first few weeks of the English 100 Writing Group during which we often spend quite a bit of time training students for Peer Review. http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/TN_GW.htm describes several activities designed for just this purpose and provides links to relevant handouts.

• Why use peer review? http://www.mwp.hawaii.edu/resources/peer_review.htm
• "Best Practices for Using Peer Reviews" (CompFAQs Wiki: http://comppile.tamucc.edu/wiki/BasicWriting/BestPractices-UsingPeerReview

"Grammar" in the Classroom

http://books.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/08894/08894f5.html

Additional Classroom Activities

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/writing2learn.htm

Information about Plagiarism

http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/plagiarism.htm

The Department of Literature and Languages has a detailed policy for dealing with suspected cases of plagiarism. See http://faculty.tamuc.edu/scarter/archive/academic_honesty.htm